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The Stormers are awaiting feedback from medical professionals for clarity on the sequence of serious injuries suffered by key players before the season shut down. CRAIG LEWIS reports.

Undoubtedly, the most ‘traumatic’ injury the Stormers suffered involved the freak incident with Pieter-Steph du Toit, who suffered a haematoma that developed into acute compartment syndrome after picking up an injury against the Blues.

If not for the quick action of medical staff, the World Cup-winning Bok forward could have lost his leg.

After the suspension of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, however, team doctor Jason Suter confirmed that Du Toit’s injury had nothing to do with his workload. He added that many of the other injuries sustained by Stormers players in 2020 could not have been avoided.

Siya Kolisi is currently recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in the opening game of the season against the Hurricanes, while Bongi Mbonambi (hamstring tear) is out for several months.

In the final game before the competition hiatus, the Stormers also revealed that Herschel Jantjies fractured his fibula in their clash with the Sharks and will be sidelined for around three months.

Stand-in skipper Kitshoff tore his pectoral muscle in the same fixture, and underwent surgery, which will see him out of action for a few months.

Meanwhile, lock JD Schickerling will be out for a few weeks after tearing a muscle in his arm.

Speaking to SARugbymag.co.za from his home during lockdown, coach John Dobson admits the Stormers had been seriously taken aback by this run of terrible injury misfortune.

‘Those injuries were deeply traumatic – to our season and even medically. We’ve sent those injuries off to independent doctors and professors to get feedback.

‘We had six guys in the World Cup final, and five suffered serious injuries. None of them had any correlation, they were all completely different injuries, but all very serious. It’s not an excuse, of course, but those were some freak occurrences.

‘There were some fundamental aspects to our game that we also needed to address, though.’